Elated Ories Make Jubilee Cup For First Time In Five Years

Jubilee Cup rugby will once again return to Miramar this year after Oriental-Rongotai cemented a top eight finish in the Swindale Shield with a well-earned 24-14 victory over Poneke in their round nine clash at the Polo Ground.

Ories' fifth win of the season places them in sixth place on the Swindale Shield points table and ten points clear of the Hardham Cup zone with just two rounds remaining.

It's been a five-year hiatus since Ories last made the Jubilee Cup, but the Polo ground will once more come alive with top level Premier rugby after what was a tenacious win over Poneke for the Jim Grbich Memorial Shield. It was close throughout, with both teams shadowing the other throughout the first spell, but Ories first five-eighth Karl Harding proved the difference in the end with 14 points including two penalties and two dropped goals.

The win for Ories was also their first Swindale Shield victory over their Eastern Suburbs neighbours for at least the last several seasons, the red and blacks winning each of their previous matches in 2007 (48-0), 2006 (34-10), 2005 (22-10), 2004 (19-8), 2003 (33-24) and 2002 (19-15).

The defeat for Poneke leaves them right on the cut off mark in eighth place, and with a nervous final fortnight of first round rugby to decide their fate for the second half of the season.

Upper Hutt too should be making a return to Jubilee Cup rugby next month after they beat the Wests Roosters 25-7 at Ian Galloway Park to lie one point behind Ories and in seventh. Barring a series of shock results conspiring against them they're now realistically in the top eight as well after a two-year absence.

Upper Hutt wore down the Roosters on their Old Timers' Day, hooker Stephen Fairbrother scoring an important opening try as they went to a 10-0 lead. But as they mostly have all season, the plucky Roosters hung in there and trailed 15-7 at halftime and pressed hard throughout the second 40 minutes. But the home side lacked any firepower and Upper Hutt took the points.

The ding-dong battle at the top of the table continued after Marist St. Pat's thrashed Avalon 66-0 at Fraser Park to draw level at the top with OBU who beat Wainuiomata 16-0 at William Jones Park but failed to get a bonus point.

MSP were rarely troubled by Avalon, sauntering in for 10 tries, with first five-eighth Fa'atonu Fili becoming the first player to pass 100 points this season early in the game after becoming their third try scorer, eventually kicking eight conversions as well for 21 points.

Both teams are on 37 points at the top of the table, four points clear of Petone and defending champions Northern United who are the only other sides who can realistically beat the two frontrunners to the title.

Petone moved to third on points diffential after a comfortable 45-0 win over Tawa at the Petone Recreation Ground, headed by a 20-point return to Premier rugby from another stint overseas of veteran first five-eighth Sam Rasch

Northern United matched moments of brilliance with periods of poor concentration in beating Hutt Old Boys Marist 28-22 at the Hutt Recreation Ground. In a similar mode to last week against OBU, Norths started off with a hiss and a roar, blitzing in for their first try in the opening minute of play and going on to hold a 25-7 lead at halftime. But they failed to score a fourth try and let HOBM back in late in the game.

One feature of Norths' play though was their dynamic young backline stars, fullback Buxton Leutulava and centre Alapati Leiua, who each scored tries.

Leiua, still at Porirua College and in his second Premier start, set up their first try scored by Sinoti To'omaga and scored their second, while Leutulava, the Porirua Flash, scored one to maintain his try a game record after four Premier starts.

In contrast, OBU's backs received few opportunities in their match against Wainui, with their forwards having to grind out a hard fought victory in trying conditions and against a fired up and feisty opposition.

Injuries and unavailability were mostly responsible for OBU making five changes to their back division that was so impressive against Norths the previous week. But the conditions for this game were also in direct contrast. An otherwise idyllic ground, William Jones Park was extremely slippery underfoot and the match was affected by intermittent, often heavy rain.

Consequently, both teams took a long time to settle into the contest, with the first points and only try of the game not coming until the 30-minute mark, left wing Sheldon Goodin scoring a long-range try up the touchline. First five-eighth Seminar Manu took a quick tap and handed off to hooker Moeahu Flavell in support, who in turn freed up Goodin with a second pass, albeit a forward one, to run 50 metres to score.

The home side were not without plenty of chances themselves to score, spending long periods hammering away inside OBU's 22 but failing to capitalise in the face of some at times courageous OBU defence, particularly from the loose forwards.

But it was Wainui's poor discipline at crucial moments that let them down and afforded OBU more breathing space than the run of play suggested, twice being reduced to 14-men through careless sinbinnings.

Openside flanker Richard Foster was sinbinned late in the first half for killing the ball inside his 22, while tighthead prop Ben Taiao was probably lucky to escape with just a yellow card after he took OBU lock Sam Green out in the air as he collected a 22-dropout.

Manu kicked two penalties from both these indiscretions, and added another earlier in the second half, the second of these second half penalties after Taiao's indiscretion a lovely long-range strike that sealed the win with 15 minutes remaining. It also came after Wainui's defence had scrambled really well to defend their line, which included a try saving tackle under the bar by niggardly halfback Corey Draper on centre Paula Kinikinilau.

It was a different story at the Petone Recreation Ground where the Villagers laid on 28 second-half points after leading 15-0 at halftime.

Nor was it merely a case of Tawa being lucky to get nil. The boys from over the hill seemed intent on preserving their clean scoring sheet, turning down multiple opportunities for shots at goal, and butchering those they did opt to take. Halfback Aviu Samuelu and first five-eighth Aaron Harris each missed eminently kickable chances in the first 40.

Petone, on the other hand, were all glittering flair and pace. Returning prodigal Rasch brought his backline to life time after time from pivot, running, dummying and kicking with class throughout. He opened the scoring with a penalty on 12 minutes, before adding to his tally with a try in the 21st, the try coming after consecutive Petone lineout wins from Tawa throws.

Before the 30 minutes were up, Tawa was looking tired. A series of bungled Petone attacks kept the Tricolours in the game, but when Rasch emerged from heavy traffic with the ball in hand on Tawa's ten-yard line, he was able to free it right to fullback Lewis Marshall, whose infield pass to openside Mateaki Kafatolu saw the flanker over near the posts. A skilful Rasch conversion into a light but tricky southerly made it 15-0.

After the break, Tawa immediately surrendered turnover ball to the hungrier Petone pack. Second half tries to feisty hooker Eugene Smith, veteran second-five August Collins, centre Greg Walker and fast man Willie Moala completed a satisfying victory for Wellington's grandest club.

Catching the eye for the home side was of course Rasch, who missed just one kick all day, made multiple breaks, and showed impressive fitness. At fullback, Lewis Marshall did Allan Hewson's old jersey no disservice, running with purpose and passing and kicking with accuracy. Fautua Otto was dangerous on the right wing and tidy on defence, while Cam Incledon exploited the blindside intelligently from halfback.

Tawa's game, by contrast, lacked form. Brian Burridge made some clean takes in the lineout, Iona Fuatai looked dangerous with the ball in hand, and Aaron Harris, playing out of his usual position at first five-eighth, showed a capacity to break the defensive line. Still, given their territorial dominance and no shortage of ball, their failure to score will leave them with major concerns ahead of the Hardham Cup round.

Meanwhile MSP teams continue to feature strongly in the lower grades, maintaining their unbeaten record and grip on the Senior 2 National Mutual Cup and climbing to second behind Johnsonville in the Senior 1 Harper Lock Shield.

Their Senior 2s swatted away the challenge of Avalon 27-14 in their match at Fraser Park and now have an seven-point lead at the top of the table to second placed Wellington. Their Senior 1sts beat fourth placed Rimutaka 27-12 to move to second, also courtesy of Northern United's shock 24-14 loss to lowly HOBM.

Johnsonville are on track to win the Fluers Trophy Women's first round trophy next week after defeating Ories 72-0, if they can beat Petone next week then the title is in the bag.

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